One of the many constant arguments I’ve seen about entertainment – more commonly thrown at the movie industry – is that there’s no originality. I’ve seen it thrown around a lot recently, especially in regards to the recent rise and trend of film adaptations of books. Specifically, comic books. I could go into a completely different discussion about how we’ve been repeating as a culture half a dozen different books since the advent of motion picture, but that’s a gigantic digression.

Instead, let’s focus on the unknown. Comics have long since been a route of escapism, entertainment and distraction (they’ve also been a way to critique modern times, but again, I digress). In the infancy of comics, largely thought of as kids’ entertainment, were turned into cartoons in the 50s and 60s. As comics grew in popularity, they became universal: before comic movies, the average person’s ability to recognize comic logos such as the main publishers Marvel and DC, and their main heroes like Superman, Batman, etc, was high.

These days, the relative unknown stories are replaced by webcomics. That’s not to say that smaller publishers haven’t stepped forward. But the entertainment industry – insofar as tv and film – have turned their search into a near laser focus. Several of the comics I’ve talked about in the past (or at least, the writers) have work that will be adapted for the screen in the upcoming years. Nimona, written and drawn by Lumberjanes creator Noelle Stevenson, is going to be adapted into a feature length film. Lumberjanes itself is going to be adapted into a live action TV series. The infamous Axe Cop (created by Ethan Nicolle and drawn by his older brother Malachai) was turned into a two-season series, the titular character voiced by none other than Nick Offerman of Parks and Rec fame.

As comics (and webcomics) move further into what the general masses consider as “mainstream” culture, we stand a chance (art wise) to grow into a variety of entertainment. With more and more lesser known comics turned towards larger audiences, we’ll be giving more than just the big companies a chance to tell their stories. And that, to me personally, is what originality in this sense is about.

This is something I’ve sitting on for a little while, more simply because the story itself seems incredibly far fetched, than anything else. It seems like after nearly seventy years and over six hundred issues, Archie is coming to an end. We’ve seen several different official titles over the last few years – Archie vs Predator,Life With Archie and Afterlife with Archie – but now, the series itself is going to get a major reboot of its titular character. This time written by none other than Mark Waid (Flash, Fantastic Four, Daredevil) and drawn by Fiona Staples (Saga).

Their take on Riverdale is posed to be more reflective of the times, keeping in with the recent desire of the publisher to move past their squeaky-clean image. They’ll be doing a three-issue series developing the origins of Archie, Betty and Veronica, and their love triangle. Hoping it’s a fully mutual love triangle – or maybe that’s just me? The original concept behind the whole thing always felt dated and a little derogatory towards the women involved.

We’re reaching into the summer months now, and with the combination of warm, unbearable (for me anyway) temperatures and graduation season comes a fresh crop of college graduates, wide-eyed and terrified of our prospective job market. You may remember when I wrote about Poorcaft last year, a great comic-based basic primer on how to survive those post-college years without the addition of mountains of debt added to that tuition bill. Earlier last year, I also announced the Kickstarter for Poorcraft’s sequel, written by Ryan Estrada and illustrated by Diana Nock. Well, the kickstarter’s long over and I finally got my pdf in the email, so let me take you through the sequel – Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here!

I have to warn that in this book there is a LOT of information to digest. Penny and Mil this time are back and going on vacation to a beach city, and Penny’s bound and determined to help Mil spend her vacation without spending a fortune. The entire book is much larger than the first one – almost double the pages – and again, a lot of information to keep together. It goes over cost of travel, lodgings, and day to day activities while on vacation, offering ways to go about it without losing your mind over the details. Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here doesn’t pull punches, though: it warns about the dangers of travel, petty theft to the reason why tourist traps are named just that.

In many ways this book’s information can be helpful for other modes of travel as well. As someone who travels for conventions, while still in the states, can benefit from a little extra travel planning. Pack smart, ditch the hardshell case if at all possible and keep your money close to you while you’re about – and have an emergency plan too! A few people I know had their money taken from their hostel safe last year. Not by other travellers – but the cleaning staff. In most places that won’t happen, but better well prepared than worse off. Estrada might have hinted at wishes to do a living and working abroad in detail book in the future, thanks to a little fourth-wall breaking.
Poorcraft and it’s sequel Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here are both available from Iron Circus Comics, who are also doing a Kickstarter on their New Worlds Anthology, which you can visit here.

Recovering from the long weekend that was C2E2 I bring you good tidings of a Brand-Spankin’ NEW Comic Convention happening in our own backyard! This first-year convention comes to us by way of the Peoria Park District, specifically the Fine Arts Program: The Artist and Comic Expo.

Happening May 9th and 10th this year, ACE is a convention designed with showcasing the diversity involved with Comics and their creative teams behind them. Many of the exhibitors were contacted specifically because of their locality – Chicago and Illinois-based artists specifically number in spades this year. But Comics aren’t the only thing represented at this event: many other fine artists, illustrators, and even voice talent Larry Kenney (Thundercats, Count Chocula) will be present this year.ACE’s Facebook Page is the place to go for a full list of guests, exhibitors, and panels. If you’re interested in ordering your pass online for the weekend, full weekend passes are fifteen dollars. Be careful, though! You can only order online until the 6th. The event takes place at the Bonnie W. Noble Center.

This week’s review comes to us from a series I find myself conflicted over. Part American Gods, part take on how we view our famous musicians and celebrities in general, The Wicked + The Divine is a solo series from Image comics by writer Kieron Gillien and Artist Jamie McKelvie. I recently purchased the first trade paperback of the series: The Faust Act is the first five issues of the series, along with variant artwork.

The concept goes as this: every ninety years, twelve gods are reincarnated at random. They live as they are for two years, then all mysteriously die. The last time it happened was the 1920s, so they have “some” evidence that’s continually considered skeptical in the eyes of the public. Enter Laura. Laura is a fan of all the gods, a “hard-core fan girl.” Her introduction and sudden friendship between her and one of the other gods is the center of the whole story. At least, the first act.

There’s nothing to describe how much I want to like this series. There’s sarcasm, there’s wit, there’s a modern take on mythology. I can understand the pass where one of the gods makes heavy-handed notes about every other god they’ve been involved with – hedonism, right? But there’s one thing that constantly nags at me since the end of the book. And that’s the character Cassandra.

In a book so heavily steeped in mythology I refuse to believe any of the named characters were arbitrarily decided. There’s a journalist that is shown within the first few pages – introduced as Cassandra – who shows herself to be incredibly skeptical of the current situation. One of the other characters addresses her and adds “If that even is your real name,” and I didn’t think much of it. Cassandra, in mythology, was a prophet of Apollo who was cursed to have every prophecy she told considered a lie. It seemed almost fitting that a journalist that has chosen as her specialty the so-called gods to go by the name Cassandra as a pen name. Cassandra means “deceiver of men,” and it seemed appropriate.

Then near the end of the book (spoilers!) it’s revealed that the comment meant that Cassandra is actually a transgender woman. This wouldn’t bother me – I would actually be incredibly happy about this – if not for the delivery and the association. This character’s trans-ness is delivered in the same way that Dumbledore’s sexuality was “revealed”: an off-hand comment and immediately then brushed under the carpet for something even more exciting. Adding the name Cassandra, again, the “deceiver of men,” atop the already heavily stigmatized reputation of trans women and it had me going back and attempting to re-read the book, see that I got everything correct.

The series is definitely worth a look, even with my reservations. I know there are more issues out there (hopefully that resolve why the author decided to use such a name) and I want to reserve my judgement of the author’s work in general until I read more.